


Big Brothers

by SilverFountains



Series: Uncle Thorin and His Nephews [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherly Love, Brothers, Drunkenness, Durin Family, Gen, Teen Years, Uncle-Nephew Relationship (non sexual)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 11:25:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1264687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverFountains/pseuds/SilverFountains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin teaches Fili how to be a good big brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Brothers

“Mahal Kili, why did you do that? Ma is going to be so mad!” Fili is dragging his younger brother to his feet but Kili sways on his feet before he flops heavily into his brother’s arms. “Come on, Kee, you’ve got to stand up, I can’t carry you anymore.”

“Feehee,” Kili whines in his drunken stupor. “Just lemme stay here.”

“Damn it, Kili, you cannot stay here. I was supposed to look after you. I left you for only a few hours and now look at the state you are in. Oh I am so dead when ma finds out I left you here.”

“Yourrrrr naughty,” Kili giggles as he tries to sink back down onto the seat, whilst Fili is desperately trying to hold him up.

“Yes yes, I know, but so are you for misbehaving like this.” He had been naughty. He was supposed to spend a bit of time with his little brother and had taken him to the tavern where they met up with Ori and Nori. He should have known that that was a bad combination to leave him with and he knew Dis would not hesitate to show his backside the wrath of her hand, no matter that he was a head taller than her now and no longer a dwarfling.

Why had he given in to the temptation to go and see her? Because he had been dating the dwarrowmaid for a few weeks now but his ma and uncle had been eyeing him like two hawks and they never got a chance to spend some time together. Nothing much had happened; they were both so young still. But he had managed to steal a quick kiss as they had snug behind the stables to watch the stars together.

He didn’t think he had been gone as long as he had been but now a deep guilt lay over him as he struggled not to get dragged down by Kili’s intoxicated swaying.

“Kili, seriously, get up!” He knows he is in deep trouble now. Kili is already taller than he is and he is not going to be able to carry him all the way home.

Ori and his brother are passed out, one on the table, the other on the floor. That’s their problem though; they can deal with their own family’s disapproval of their behaviour as he knows Dori will.

Kili has finally managed to find his feet as he leans heavily on his brother’s shoulder. “Good,” Fili mumbles. “Now just walk with me, okay. Just one foot after another.”

They seem to make some progress as they at least get out of the tavern and some steps down the road towards their home. But then Kili falls down onto his knees and takes his brother down with him.

“Damn, Kili,” Fili curses under his breath as his knee hits the stone hard and a jolt of pain shoots through his leg. “Will you stop playing silly games and come home with me.” But he knows Kili isn’t playing, he really is way out of it from however much strong ale he has consumed and Fili is beginning to panic. “Please get up brother,” he pleads now. “You cannot just stay here, you’ll freeze to death.”

He tries to push his shoulder under Kili’s heavy body in a vain attempt to carry him. He just about manages to pull his brother’s arms around his neck and lift him up as he rises to his feet. “Come on, Kee, just work with me here.” He cannot hold Kili’s arms and legs all at the same time and has to sort of drag Kili down the road.

They manage just a few yards before a deep cough behind them makes the blood in Fili’s veins run ice cold.  A large shadow falls over the two of them and he has no doubt who the shadow belongs to.

“Fili, what is going on?”

Fili lets his brother’s heavy body slide carefully down to the ground as he slowly turns around.

“Uncle, I …”

“Well? Are you going to tell me why Kili is lying passed out on the road in the middle of a winter’s night?” Thorin’s eyes are blazing in the soft moonlight.

Fili sighs deeply as he tries to find his courage. He knows he is no good at lying to his uncle and whenever he has tried it has only got him into more trouble. “He’s had too much to drink.”

“And where were you when he was getting himself into such a state?”

Fili lets his head hang. “I went to see a girl.”

Before Thorin can respond to that, they both turn their heads towards Kili who has managed to get himself onto all fours and is now retching like a cat with a fur ball. Fili wants to help him, but Thorin pushes him aside as he kneels beside his youngest nephew, stroking a big hand over his back as he whispers to him, “Get it out Kili. You will feel better for it.”

Fili stares at the two of them and cannot feel any guiltier as he watches his brother throw up great gulfs of dark brown liquid, whilst their uncle holds back his hair. It should be him doing this; he should be the one looking after Kili. He should have done that in the first place. And it is at that exact moment that he swears to Mahal that he will never let anyone come between him and his brother again. That from this day forward he will always put Kili first.

Kili has stopped throwing up now and is heaving heavily in Thorin’s arms. “You are coming with me,” Thorin says as he wraps Kili up into his arms as easily as he used to when they were dwarflings. Kili’s head lolls heavy against Thorin’s shoulder as he moans in self-pity. “Fili, now please.” Fili hadn’t been sure if his uncle had meant the both of them, so he had hovered behind, but now he is quickly jogging after his uncle as he strides down the road towards his dwelling.

He pushes the door open with his boot as he carefully carries Kili inside and lays him onto the sofa. Kili is still moaning incoherently.

“Fili, get a blanket from my bedroom and a bucket from the washroom,” Thorin orders him as he turns himself to the stove to boil some water. Fili sprints into action as he quickly finds the requested items and returns to the front room with them, holding them out to his uncle. Thorin glares at him. “Well, go on,” he growls. “Put the blanket over him and put the bucket beside him in case he is sick again.” Fili blushes before he does as he is told.

Then he goes and sits on the floor next to his brother. “I’m sorry, Kee,” he whispers. “I shouldn’t have left you. I will never leave you again, I promise you that, little brother.” And he takes Kili’s hand and strokes it softly.

Thorin watches Fili with approval. He’s been stupid and he knows it. They both have. He will have words with Kili too once he’s lived through his hangover. But for now he just wants Fili to realise that he is responsible for his little brother. That he needs to look after him and make sure he is safe. Always.

Thorin kneels next to Kili and pushes him up a little. “Little one,” he whispers, although Kili is almost as tall as he is now. He will always be his little gem, however. He knows he is fiercely protective of the both of them but Kili even more so as the youngest. “Try and have a sip of this. It will help settle your stomach.” He holds Kili’s head up as he presses the warm liquid against his lips. Kili’s eyes are rolling in his head, but he opens his mouth enough for Thorin to pour some of the liquid down his throat. “That’s it, my boy. Just a little more. There we go.” He wipes away the dribble that runs down Kili’s chin and then lets his head rest back on the sofa again. “Now sleep, my treasure,” and he brushes the hair from his face.

Fili watches the tenderness with which Thorin cares for his little brother with a heavy heart, once more feeling a deep guilt for allowing his brother to get into this state without him being there for him.

“Fili,” Thorin gets up now and orders Fili to follow him towards the other side of the room, where they sit together in front of the fire. Fili is sure he will get a serious dressing-down from his uncle now, but Thorin just lights his pipe and stares into the fire, not saying anything.

“Thorin, I’m sorry,” Fili whispers eventually, the silence between them driving him mad. “I know I did wrong. I shouldn’t have left Kili.”

Thorin looks at him with an intense gaze, but still doesn’t respond.

Fili sighs. The silent reprimand is far worse than any shouting or spanking his uncle could have given him.  He wants Thorin to tell him off, to tell him how stupid he had been. But instead Thorin makes him realise all those things and more without uttering a single word. And it is making Fili feel infinitely small.

“I won’t do it again, uncle,” Fili continues, desperate for a reaction. “I will never leave Kili alone again. I promise you I will always look after him from now on.” Tears are starting to well into his eyes.

He jumps as Thorin suddenly gets up, expecting a lashing out that doesn’t come. He watches Thorin walk towards the sofa to check on his little brother before he disappears into the small kitchen. Fili just stares over to the other side of the room, where his brother is sleeping on the sofa and he is so angry with himself for his stupidity.

Then Thorin returns, holding a steaming mug out to him. Fili looks at him in surprise as he takes the warm brew. He sniffs at it and recognises the sweet fruity smell as hot cider. Thorin takes a sip from his own mug and sits himself down again.

“He will be okay, won’t he, Thorin?” Fili asks quietly as he gently sips at the hot liquid.

Thorin smirks as he looks at him through the steam of his mug. “Yes of course he will be okay. His head will hurt a lot when he wakes tomorrow and he will curse that he will never drink again. But he will. We have all been there.” And to Fili’s surprise he chuckles to himself. “I remember finding Frerin in a state like that once and I was terrified of the scolding my da was going to give me. We were all young once, Fili. And we have all done stupid things. I am not mad about that. I am only disappointed that you let someone come between you and Kili. That you put a non blood-relative before your own brother.”

Fili lowers his head but Thorin leans forward and pushes his chin up. “Perhaps I am just a little over sensitive, _nidoyuh_. Because I wish I had been there to protect my little brother when I needed to." He lets go of Fili's chin and stares into the fire again. "I miss my brother more than anything in the world and would give everything, including the throne of Erebor, to have him back with me.”

Fili looks up at the pained expression in Thorin’s face, feeling the deep sadness lying there. 

“Just promise me you will always look after him, Fili.”

And Fili nods. “I promise you, Thorin. Until the end of my days.”


End file.
